On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Lovie Smith, a Tampa assistant in 1996-2000 who will have some say in who joins him as general manager.

The Lions had interest in interviewing Smith and possibly O’Brien, but they’re hardly running out of options a few days into what seems like a faster-than-normal hiring cycle.

Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell is expected to interview in the next few days, and assistants on teams playing in this weekend’s playoffs, such as San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, can begin interviewing after the wild-card games are done.

One NFC scout put it behind the two already-filled positions, because of Houston’s ownership and front office, and the ability to work with your handpicked GM in Tampa. And an agent who represents coaches said jobs in Detroit and Cleveland (where the Browns have two high draft picks this year) were the best, with the Lions’ job especially intriguing because of quarterback Matthew Stafford.

ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth said on “Mike & Mike” this morning that he believes the Lions job is “in everybody’s estimation, the best job out there.”

“You’ve got talent and you’ve got a quarterback,” Schlereth said. “I would think that that would be everybody’s kind of No. 1 job because I think the opportunity to win there and turn the program around is almost instant.”